February 2020

One-time event apps are considered to be a good option for when it comes to handling a single, stand-alone event. Such apps are typically not made to use for other events and are usually discontinued once the event concludes. However, certain brands have an event portfolio to their credit that includes a number of events around the year. Thus, for the sake of app efficiency, these organizations are considering the option of intuitive multi-event apps.

Having said that, now the prime question is whether or not a brand should go for a multi-event app? Here are certain factors that one must consider in order to decide whether they are in need of a multi-event app:

Increased Number Of Registrations For Events

A number of events measure their success by counting the number of successful registrations completed for the event. When there is an increase in the number of registrations, a multi-event app can be helpful as it gives an opportunity to include upcoming events within the app and link the same to all the internal as well as external registration providers. Thus, if an individual downloads the app for a particular event, they have the opportunity to view the entire event portfolio of your brand. This can serve as an opportunity for cross-selling or word-of-mouth publicity.

An Easier Way For Making Multiple Registrations

When you offer a multi-event app to your attendees, they get the option to register for other events as well as from within the app. The entire process is a seamless one, as attendees can easily view when the registration for other events are open and can access the registration site right from the app. It’s a great way to drive user engagement.

Enhanced Savings On Promotional Expenses

Since your app remains the same and all you need to do is to add more and more events as and when scheduled in the same app, companies are able to acquire a lot more savings in terms of promotional expenses which were required to be incurred if a separate app were to be launched for individual events. Just add the event to the container app and the content can be accessed by people at large who are already using the app.

Centralized and Cohesive Event Communication

With the presence of a number of tools to manage different events, centralizing event communication helps in defining the communication and portfolio strategy for the brand. The brand is saved from promoting different standalone apps for different events. A single app can ensure that the attendees are informed about the upcoming events.

Streamlined and Efficient Event Management

Building and managing one app is easier in comparison to twenty. The overall cost is reduced when working with a multi-event app. As per a recent employee satisfaction survey, employees managing events via event app believe that offering a robust and efficient app interface and mechanics for all events, such as seminars, conferences, and meetings are way better than offering a new app each time a new event crops up.

Thus, multi-event apps factor into event branding for centralizing event communications as well as managing multifarious brands, thus, making it easier for adding and updating the events which are going to take place around the year.

For performance-driven event companies, 2020 is an auspicious year. It not only marks the beginning of a new decade but also acts as a metaphor for 20/20, that is, thorough and top-notch performance. When it comes to catering to the expectations of attendees, event managers need to churn out an interactive as well as an amazing experience that not only impresses the eyes of the beholder but also rhymes a chord with their corporate goals.

During the course of the 2010s, the event industry became accustomed to ever-evolving event technology. As the world around progressively seeped to amalgamate itself with the digital interface, the event-arena too began to incorporate innovative technologies that favoured personalized recommendations. Event App – the new kid in town, paved its way into the market, helping event-companies accomplish their desired goals, by delivering what was the need of the hour.

Now all that has come into existence over the past ten years, not only exists but also keeps on evolving – for good. But being well-prepared helps one to stay at the top of the game and therefore, here’s a guide circling comprehensive annual event trends that will help opportunistic event managers in seizing the moment and growing in the professional event management arena.

Here’s what all event managers can expect out of 2020:

B2B brands shall strive for more interaction with the attendees

The whole purpose of corporate events is to be noticed. Since now the digital platform has established itself with accordance to event management, it’s a dire necessity that corporate events adopt a more unconventional approach, topped by experiential elements. It’s high time that event managers divert their attention from consumer events to B2B events, owing to the latter being more engaging and social.

Exhibitors’ benefit lies in strategically devised floor plans

One can’t overlook the fact that event managers reel in business by driving more and more traffic to sponsoring booths and activations by strategically devising event layouts. The proximity of the exhibition, keynote arena, happy hours, and other factors play a pivotal role in maximizing one’s event experience.

Event sustainability – a shared mission

The prospect of a sustainable event garners attention. For instance, incorporate actions that throw light on the environmental impact of events – tap water instead of plastic bottles, usage of public transport et cetera – initiatives that bind event manager, sponsors, and attendees.

Enterprise-grade Tech Partners

A larger event accounts for a mammoth number of attendees – which in turn means collecting and securing bulk-load of data. Protecting the private data of individuals is nothing short of being a liability, hence, it’s well-recommended that your event-tech partners like IT, security teams, legal, and others, are enterprise-grade – secured data ensures seamless event experience and ensures one’s reputation in the market.

Data-driven personalization is the new vogue

Data-driven solutions derive from machine learning, automation, and recommendation engines, thereby allowing event managers to provide personalized recommendations based on users’ actual behaviour – enabling them to make the most of their time. Events curated out of such technology riddled solutions enhance the experience of the attendees, surpassing satisfactory levels.

2020 – The year of revolution is here, the time is now, and the moment is waiting to be seized. Advancements of the likes of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and 5G, await to take the event companies by surprise.

Event gamification is one strategic move that is capable of making an event more profitable as well as effective by offering a memorable way for brands to engage attendees as well as the sponsors of the event.

You must be thinking what exactly is this term, ‘gamification’?

It may sound like a new term to you, however, all of us have been a part of gamification at least once or multiple times in the past. Let’s recall: you must have been asked to fill out a survey which could potentially lead to a lottery win, or used a credit card which offered rewards points or posted on social media accounts for freebies. All of these instances are nothing but various forms of gamification. It is basically neither an application nor an event technology, but it is a way to motivate audiences to take some kind of action by providing an incentive for completing a task.

Event gamification can be seen in different forms and in every form, it helps in transforming an event into a successful one. It works on the emotions and motivational factors of the attendees of the event.

It is important to boost sponsor engagement using gamification because of several reasons:

• The more engaged the sponsors are, the better the events created for the attendees.
• With more engaged sponsors, the chances of transactional interactions with the sponsors are minimized.
• Since the sponsors quantify the ROI of the event to rate their involvement with the event, gamification is one big tool which is often used for increasing ROI.

Here are some of the ways in which one can drive engagement at events using gamification strategy:

Gamification Of The Booth Check-ins

Gamification is often customized to the goals of the sponsors in order to see what works and what does not work for them. Addition of game elements can be done as a call-to-action for attendees, which in turn, help in drawing visitors to the sponsor’s booth.

Presentations

Gamification can transform regular speaker presentations to something fun and interactive. The presentations can be transformed using polls and other elements of social media integration. The sponsors may offer prizes to the winners and offer something of value to the participants as a gesture. This may spark the first conversation between the sponsors and the attendees.

Gamification Corner For Sponsor Promotion

A separate gamification corner may be created where the attendees may relax during the free time. Setting up of games such as interactive video games, chess, foosball etc. can be organized within the budget. The added benefit here is that there lies ample scope for sponsor promotion by the display of sponsor logos. In case the budget is bigger, AR and VR games may be considered.

Event App

Gamifying event apps with fun, interactive, and simple games can contribute to full-fledged utilization. Leader boards can be created and online event networking games can also be included for the attendees. To increase the interaction with sponsors, some augmented reality games may be integrated into the event app itself. This way, the app elevates from just being a medium for event registration to a platform for interaction between the attendees and sponsors.